


A Welcome Spring

by piggiellamamama



Category: Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-09 16:01:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17409908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piggiellamamama/pseuds/piggiellamamama
Summary: After the manga finale (prior to the epilogue scenes when they're older), the Sohma family is no longer cursed and Tohru Honda gets her happily ever after, finding happiness bit by bit in the tiniest of moments. One shots of all of the characters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not intended for younger audiences, or fans who have only seen the anime (and are unfamiliar with the manga's ending)-- Read at your own risk.

Like a thawing of winter’s snow, the curse that had befallen generations of the Sohma family was broken. The year after graduating high school led to other, more exciting milestones for Tohru and all of her loved ones. Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima anxiously awaited a visit with their best friend, and were eager to jump at a chance to see an unfamiliar city. As they stepped out of the bullet train and onto the concourse, the pair searched through the crowd for their beloved friend. 

 

Saki Hanajima raised her arm, having sensed the girl’s psychic wave pattern, and propelled herself forward in a tackling embrace. Uo was catching up, carrying both sets of luggage, “Hana, no fair!” Tohru was encompassed with love from her friends, as she stood in the center of a group hug. Kyo stood awkwardly aside, waiting for the display to end. “So, Carrot Top, you’ve been good to our Tohru, haven’t you?” Uotani asked, smirking. With a jerk, Kyo idly scratched the back of his head, “Yea, of course, I mean, it’s not like I’m holding her hostage.” 

 

Hana raised an eyebrow at him, “Oh, really? Is that right?” “All right, you two,” Tohru said, holding her hands up in defense. “I hope you can all get along; after all, you’re here to visit with us, right?” Both girls nodded in gentle agreement. “Yes, of course.” Saki held Tohru’s hand. Uo wrapped her arm around Tohru’s shoulders, “Yea, but it’s not a real vacation if I can’t lay into Orange Top here a little bit.” Kyo sighed, reaching out to take the luggage that was now resting by their feet. 

 

“Look, Arisa, Kyo’s taking our bags.” Hana said.

“Wow, you’ve become a real gentleman since high school, haven’t you?” Uo asked. 

 

Kyo started walking to their car, (which he got after learning to drive in the new city), muttering things under his breath as he loaded the bags into the trunk. “I don’t know if I can take a whole week of this.” “Here.” Kyo’s heart rate soared, and he yelped at the sudden voice in his ear. The raven haired girl was holding out an unmarked envelope. “What’s this?” He asked, surprised. Hana smiled, “Arisa and I wanted to thank you properly for your hospitality.” Upon opening the envelope, Kyo saw money was folded neatly inside. “Oh, listen, really, I appreciate it, but Tohru wouldn’t--” At that moment, Uo stepped into the conversation. “Hey, it’s no big deal, Kyon-Kyon. Honestly, don’t worry about it.” 

 

Uncertain, he glanced at Tohru, who was holding the passenger door open and glancing back at him with a smile. “You guys, thank you, but we can’t let her know. I don’t like to worry her over finances.” Kyo decided that it would help with the groceries for feeding two extra people, as well as any fluctuation with additional use of electricity and water. Uo made a locking motion in front of her closed lips. Hanajima nodded, “Thank you for letting us stay with you.” She bowed and the two friends went to situate themselves in the backseat. 

 

“Tohru, come sit with us!” Uo said, gesturing to the middle seat. Kyo shook his head, “Maybe this week won’t be a total disaster after all.” 

 

~~~ 

 

Yuki was sitting in his university’s courtyard, by a water fountain, where he was waiting for Machi. The past year had been good to them, he thought, as he reminisced about their relationship. Machi was flawed, and openly so, which captured Yuki’s interest. Their childhoods were so achingly similar that he couldn’t imagine anyone ever understanding him in the same ways that she did. A brief memory of Miss Honda flashed in his mind, and he smiled as he remembered how one unsuspecting girl was able to teach him so much about himself, and how to love. Here he was, in love with another woman, he didn’t ever have to be afraid of. What a freedom that was! 

 

He saw Machi as she approached, and watched her face light up at the sight of him. How he loved that! “Did your class get out early?” She asked, still smiling. Yuki nodded, “Just by a couple of minutes though, probably because of mid terms.” He leaned down to kiss her on the lips, and still she blushed. “Are you ready to go get groceries?” She said, taking his hand. “Sure.” Yuki replied, and they headed down the block towards the local store. 

 

~~~

 

“Oh, Tohru, this apartment is so adorable.” Hana said in her quiet, yet excited way.  
“Yea, I mean, you need some more pictures, but I can understand not wanting to plaster this guy’s face all over your walls.” Uo said, pointing with her thumb to Kyo who was dragging in the bags from the car. “Hey, if you’re gonna insult me, I can leave your damn stuff on the curb!” He said, annoyed. Tohru giggled, “Actually, we didn’t want to cause too much wall damage since we’re only renting and we don’t plan on staying here long.” Hana patted Tohru’s shoulder, “Of course not.” “Absolutely, that’s so smart,” Uo chimed in, tussling the girl’s brown hair. 

 

Kyo took a deep breath, as he’d been practicing his patience in anticipation of this visit. “All right, well, if you guys are gonna be catching up, I’m just gonna get dinner started.” He announced, heading out of the room. “Let me show you where the guest room is,” Tohru said, leading them into the hallway. There was a futon set up in the middle of a small office space adjacent to the bathroom. A closet had empty hangers, and a few shelves for storage of personal items. “Tohru, this is too much! Thank you.” Hana squeezed her friend. Uo smiled, “Thank you for the cute toiletries, too!” She held up a travel-sized shampoo bottle, “You’re like one of those bread and breakfasts!” The girls laughed, “Arisa,” Hana corrected, “It’s called a bed and breakfast.” The blond raked her fingers through her long mane, “Yea, once I said it, I knew it couldn’t be right.” She laughed even harder. 

 

Downstairs, Kyo was bringing water to a boil to make rice to go with a salmon dish he was preparing. He could hear his love enjoying herself a couple rooms down, and a weight lifted from his chest. “As long as she’s happy,” he whispered, smiling. In his heart, he knew there was nothing more that he needed than for Tohru to be happy, but he always felt guilty for taking her away from the people she cared most about. Even Tohru’s remaining close relative, her grandfather, has been apart from her for a year. Though they didn’t see each other often before, the fact that Kyo was the reason they currently could not ate away at him sometimes. 

 

Snap out of it, Kyo thought to himself. You got her a cell phone just before you made the move out here, so that she could still have constant contact with her friends and family. His conscience eased up a little as he recalled how happy she was; that she even teared up as she made that first phone call to her grandfather. Now, it wasn’t as fancy as some other phones out there, but it was able to text and make phone calls and receive emails, which was already more than Tohru would even need. He put the salmon in the oven and turned off the burner for the water. 

 

Yea, and I’ll be finishing my training out here in a couple of years so we won’t be away from her friends much longer, he reminded himself. He had resolved his negative thoughts, for the time being, and set the timer until when the fish would likely be done cooking. Satisfied, Kyo sat down at the kotatsu, which currently was left unheated due to the springtime weather. He turned on the television, and suddenly a door burst open. “Hey, Kyo-kun,” Tohru said meekly, as her friends stood on either side of her. He shook his head, wondering what shenanigans the yankee and psychic were trying to get away with. “Yea, what is it?” He asked, gritting his teeth. 

 

“Aw, Kyon-Kyon, don’t be like that,” Uo said, hugging her friend from behind. Kyo rolled his eyes, “Damn Yankee, you’re manipulating Tohru into asking me for something I’m probably not gonna like, so I’m gonna have an attitude.” Tohru shook her head, “Actually, it’s not like that, Kyo-kun!” She waved her hands frantically, “I, um, I was going to ask if it’d be okay with you if tomorrow Uo-chan and Hana-chan go shopping with me.” Kyo threw his head back and sighed with relief, “Of course not, why would I have a problem with that?” His tone was milder than before, but still snappy. 

 

“Tohru needs new bras,” Hana said flatly. 

 

~~~

 

Rin was clutching her cell phone, staring at the written message she hadn’t dared to send. Hatsuharu stroked her long hair, “Well, have you sent it?” She shook her head and shoved the screen in his face, so that he could approve of the text. With one swift motion, he pressed the “Send” button. “What?” Rin asked, her face turning crimson. She pulled the phone back into her lap and gaped at the “Message Sent” notification. “Haru, how could you?” She yelled, pushing his bare chest. He took hold of her wrist and brought her hand to his face, where he rested it on his cheek. “You’ve looked so worried lately, I knew it was for the best.” 

 

She threw herself onto the futon in frustration, “Now I’m going to look like the kind of friend who doesn’t stop thinking about you-- or, in this case, Tohru.” He looked at her half-naked form sprawled out on the blanket, “Um, but you are exactly that kind of friend.” Rin whipped a stray pillow at his face, and missed. “You bastard!”


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro and Kisa are added into the series.

“Oh, jeez!” Kyo said, resting a hand over his flushing face. “I get it.” He lowered his hand to the table and looked in his girlfriend’s brown eyes. “Tohru, if you need something, I don’t care how embarrassing you think it is, you can tell me.” She looked down, and fiddled with her hands. “I know that, but I was also wondering…” Arisa pulled something from behind her back, and pointed to an open page of a catalog. “Is this the kind of thing you’d want to see Tohru in?” Hana shook her head, “That’s much too revealing for our Tohru. Show him the one I liked.” 

 

Kyo stood up, his face burning, “I need to check on dinner!” He turned on his heel and looked at the ceiling, “But I guess, if ya put a gun to my head, I’d say that I liked that first one.” Uo pumped her fist into the air, “All right! See, Tohru, that wasn’t so bad!” Hanajima sighed, “It can’t be helped, all men are perverts.” Uotani smirked, “I’d wear something like this!” The lingerie model in the picture was wearing a number composed of mostly strategically placed ribbon and lace, with both butt cheeks exposed. “Oh, no, Arisa! Don’t corrupt our poor Tohru!” Saki said, gently covering Tohru’s eyes.

 

“These damn women are trying to kill me,” Kyo cursed as he checked the salmon’s internal temperature. 

~~~

 

Kisa sat on a swing set, dragging her feet in the dirt. Her mother was always questioning her about the future, but it was something that she'd never focused on. Kisa thought that her options were limited due to the family curse, but she'd been free of it for a year. “Hiro,” she said to the boy sitting beside her. “What are your plans after high school?” 

Looking to the sky, Hiro replied, “I don't really know, I've thought about traveling, but truthfully, I just want to be where you are.” Kisa smiled sweetly, “What kind of work would you like to do?” The young man grinned, “I want to be a teacher.” The response he gave stunned her. “How did you decide to become a teacher?” Hiro kicked a rock at his feet, “I had this great teacher once, and he influenced my childhood.” He sighed and looked at Kisa, “All the other adults in my life saw me for my temper and didn't think I'd amount to anything, but he inspired me to prove them all wrong.” 

Kisa thought about his answer, “That will suit you, Hiro.” He nodded, “I think so, but what about you?” She shook her head, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. “H-hey now!” Hiro turned their swings so they were facing one another. “Kisa, it's okay, I'll help you figure it out.” He wiped a tear from her cheek, “You're stuck with me, ya dumb chick.” She giggled at his playful insult, and gave him a kiss. 

~~~

After they had enjoyed their first meal together since being reunited as a group, Tohru checked her phone. There was an unread message from Rin that said, “Have fun with your friends, I hope you'll come back to visit us soon.” She smiled at the thought of seeing everyone back home. “What is it?” Uo asked, as she continued to braid the brunette's hair. “Rin was saying that Kyo and I should go back to visit,” Tohru responded in a wistful tone. 

“Oh, definitely!” Arisa exclaimed, accidentally losing track of the locks of hair in her hands. “But I understand that you’ll want to see the Sohmas since it's been over a year, now.” Tohru daydreamed about a vacation to visit with, what she considered to be, her extended family. Hana chimed in, “I had wondered if you'd be truly happy when we came.” Shock overtook Tohru, “Huh?” 

“Sheesh, Hana.” Uo said, pinning the completed braid into a headband, letting the rest of her friend's hair cascade down her back. Saki sighed, “I only mean that, I'm glad you're able to be happy here with Kyo, even though we're apart.” Uotani nodded, “Yeah, I'll admit I was worried about you, too.” Overwhelmed, Tohru felt teardrops on her cheeks. “You guys,” she sniffed, hugging them both. 

 

~~~

 

That evening, Yuki stroked Machi's hair as she rested on his chest. The rise and fall of her steady breathing paired with the distant sound of traffic were enough to put him to sleep. He felt, although he'd never say so, like a caterpillar safely wrapped in its cocoon. This level of intimacy was in many ways still very surreal for him, given his long history of avoiding women. 

Machi stirred gently, and cracked her eyes open, “Oh, I fell asleep.” Yuki kissed her forehead, “Yes, and it's been pretty cute.” She blushed, and sat upright. “You have a paper due tomorrow, though.” He scooted closer to her, capturing her in his strong arms. “You should know I wrote that last night.” He gave a teasing grin and released her, “Unless you're rejecting my affections, Madame Treasurer.” 

Her face turned to scarlet, but she knew how to retaliate when he referred to their past. “Of course not, President Prince Yuki Sohma.” He let out an embarrassed laugh, “Oh, I thought you weren't a fanclub member?” Machi pouted, and stood up from the futon. “Absolutely not!” Yuki got up as well, and wrapped his arms around her. Without meaning to, the couple started to sway as though they were dancing. 

No words were shared between them, but they moved in a slow rhythm to the sound of crickets chirping outside of their apartment complex. His hand cupped the low arch of her back, and Machi’s arms hugged Yuki's neck. In the darkness of the room there were frequent flashes of rotating light from passing headlights. The scene was almost like that of a spotlight dance, known to be common at school dances.

At last, he broke the silence by whispering into her ear. “Machi Kuragi, I love you.” Tears welled in her eyes and she pressed her face deep into his chest. “I love you, too.”


End file.
